Bias-cutter.



No. 771,738. PATENTED OCT. 4, 1904.

' O. J. MITCHELL.

BIAS CUTTER.

. APPLICATION FILED APR. 11, 1904. NO MODEL.

N0. 7r1,73s.

UNITED I STATES Patented October 4:, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

BIAS-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,738, dated October4, 1904.

Application filed April 11, 1904- To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be itknown that I, CHARLES J. MITCHELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Clair, in the county of St. Clair and State of Michigan,have invented new and useful Improvements in Bias-Cutters, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to a device for cutting fabrics onthe bias, and is characterized especially byimprovement with respect tothe means for holding the cloth firmly while the knife is cutting thesame.

An objection has existed to cutters of the general class to which thisinvention belongs due to the fact that it has been difiicult to hold thecloth in fixed and proper position on the board during the passage ofthe knife.

It is the object of my invention to remedy this defect by an improvedconstruction to produce the clamping action.

' In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the tool.Figs. 2 and 3 are cross-sections with the cutter closed and open,respectively. Fig. 4 is a rear edge view.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 6 indicates the base board orstrip, through one end of which is mortised the guide or gage .bar 7,which regulates the angle of the bias.

The base-board 6 has a longitudinal groove 6 in the upper face thereoffor the passage of the point of the knife.

At 8 the hinged leaf is indicated. This has a slot 8 corresponding tothe groove 6, and it receives the knife-blade, the handle of which isindicated at 9. The leaf 8 is hinged at each end of the base-board 6 bymeans of hinges 10, the lower member of which has an upwardly-projectingL, as at 11, which brings the hinged pivot in such position that theface of the leaf comes in flat and close contact with the base-board,and, furthermore, when the leaf is lifted it opens away from thebase-board, the hinges being extended outwardly or backwardly to producethat effect. The hinges are conveniently secured to the ends of thebase-board and the leaf.

Along the rear edge of the base-board 6 that is, the edge nearest thehingeis fixed a metallic strip, (indicated at 12,) and the up Serial No.202,628. (No model.)

are closed, as shown in Fig. 2. The front or opposite edge of the leaf 8has also a strip 14:, of metal, which depends somewhat below the underside or face of the leaf and is arranged to contact with the front edgeof the base-board 6.

In the use of the device the leaf is opened on the hinge and the clothor other fabric passed between it and the base-board, with the edge ofthe cloth or fabric against the gagebar 7. When in proper position, theleaf 8 is lowered. This causes the cloth to be clamped between the leafand the base and also to be gripped between the strips 12 and 13 andbetween the strip 14 and the front edge of the base-board. The effect ofthis is to strain the cloth tightly over the baseboard and to grip thesame firmly between the metallic strips heretofore referred to. Theknife is then drawn along through the slot and severs the cloth in anobvious manner. The cutter is then opened for the next operation, andinasmuch as the hinged pivot is at a distance from the rear edge of thebase-board and leaf that is, inasmuch as the hinges are extendedhingesthe leaf lifts clear of the base-board and the cloth thereon andallows the latter to be quickly and easily drawn along for the nextoperation.

It will be seen that in addition to the plain clamping-surface of thebase-board and leaf the cutter has means to clamp the cloth on bothsides ofthe cutting-knife, whereby the danger of the cloth slipping,incident to'cutters having a plain surface only, is avoided.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a bias-cutter, in combination, a base, a leaf hinged at its endsthereto, and having a slot extending from one end to the other,projecting strips at opposite side edges of the base and leaf on eachside of the slot, and arranged to bind the material between the basestructed to grip the material, substantially as I and leaf, and a knifemovable along in the described.

slot. In testimony whereof I have signed my name 2. In a device forclamping and cutting to this specification in the presence of twosubsheets, in combination, a base having a gagescribing Witnesses.

bar secured at an angle thereto, a leaf hinged CHARLES J. MITCHELL. atopposite ends to the base and having a Witnesses: knife-slot along thesame,and projecting strips W. S. MITCHELL,

along opposite edges of the base and leaf, con- T. J. MILLIKIN.

